Link suddenly felt shoved forward. Quickly turning around, he saw Bludo staring at him, prodding at him with his finger.
"You okay there, tiny Champion?"
Link gave a nod.
"What got into you back there?"
"I remember Daruk." the Champion said.
"Now you do? Hylians sure are strange. Anyways, Yunobo is actually a descendant of the Great Daruk. That's why that slacker can even use Daruk's Protection! He uses it to protect himself when we fire him at Rudania. That's the only way we can chase that blasted beast away. We have no choice because normal cannonballs are no good against him." the Goron boss explained.
"I see."
"But that's enough outta me. Time to go drive off Rudania!"
Just as Bludo began to walk off, he suddenly jolted up, as another crack was heard from his back.
"Gah! Arrrgh..."
He crouched down and put his large hand on his back.
"Youch... Owwwowow..."
"Are you okay?" asked Link.
"Oh yeah, just peachy. Dumb Hylian, OF COURSE I'm not okay. Owww... Arghhh... I'm afraid I won't be goin' anywhere today. I hate to put you on the spot, but... can ya please go tell Yunobo that I'm gonna have to cancel today? Ow..."
"Sure. Where is he?" Link asked.
"By the Bridge of Eldin. Just take the same path that led to the Abandoned North Mine, but use the minecart rails instead, it'll be quicker.
"Very well."
He then headed off with Taima at his side. In reality though, he had no intention of leaving things undone. If Bludo wouldn't help him, he'd simply do it by himself. Following the road, he came across a long metal railway, a minecart sitting idly by, unused.
The two climbed in, as they looked for a way to get it going. Link soon found a small hole in the back of the cart. Remembering how he had used the cannon, he decided to apply the same logic to the mechanism here. Using his Sheikah slate to summon a bomb, he rolled it in and detonated it. The cart was propelled forward, skidding on the rails beneath it.
Link continued forward, using a bomb whenever the cart began to slow down. Soon enough, they came to a stop, as the cart hit some buffers at the end of the track. The two got out of the cart, as Link checked the map. There was still a way to go before they got to the bridge.
"Come on."
They continued onward, walking through the steam of nearby hot springs, as they soon found another minecart track. Using the same trick as last time, they easily rode a cart all the way to the other side. Getting off, they made their way up a rocky hill.
As they came near the top however, they suddenly spotted something in the distance. Taking a closer look, Link realized it was Yunobo, standing atop a cannon. He was kneeling down on the ground, shaking with his hands over his head as Daruk's Protection surrounded him. Two moblins were there, taking turns at striking the barrier, roaring the terrified Goron beneath it.
"Yaah! Someone, please help me!" he cried out.
"Go!" Link suddenly shouted to Taima.
The two immediately rushed forward. Link pulled out his royal bow as he fired an ice arrow at one of the moblins, freezing him in place. Taima sprinted towards the other one, leaping up and tackling it to the ground, baring her fangs and claws.
Link pulled out his stone smasher as he landed a hard strike on the frozen moblin, breaking the ice off of it. It fell to the ground, just for a second before it got back up. Wielding a drill shaft in one of its hands, it made a jab at Link with it, knocking the Champion to the ground. With his two hands forced to hold the heavy stone weapon, there was no room for a shield.
"Argh!"
Getting back up, Link got ready. As the moblin brought the drill shaft down, slamming the ground with it, the knight quickly leapt to the side, before charging in with a flurry rush, hitting the monster several times till finally, he fell dead to the ground.
Link looked up to see Taima wrestling with her enemy, sinking her teeth into his neck as the moblin tried to break free. Soon enough however, the movements slowed, till eventually, it stopped struggling and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
The Champion walked over to Yunobo, who was still cowering behind Daruk's Protection. He knocked on the barrier.
"It's safe to come out," he told him.
"No it isn't! There, look!"
He pointed to Taima, who was busy chewing on some of the moblin guts.
"She is harmless." Link replied.
"No! I'm scared of dogs!"
"Taima is a wolf."
"That's even worse!"
"I will order her not to hurt you." he assured him, though his usual emotionless tone was not exactly very warm.
"... You promise?" asked Yunobo.
"I do." said Link, motioning for Taima to stay back. She obeyed his command, backing away and sitting down.
Yunobo cautiously lowered the shield around him.
"Alright... Wow! You're crazy strong, goro! You saved me again! Thanks! I would've been in real trouble if you hadn't shown up when you did, goro."
He looked around, before sighing.
"Still no sign of Boss, eh?"
"He said he's not coming." Link told him.
"Huh? Not coming? But why, goro?!"
"His back hurts."
"Oh no! After I went through all that trouble to get them... the painkillers didn't even end up working, goro. Well, if Boss can't help, there's nothin' else we can do. I'll just head back now..."
"Wait. I need you to stay here." Link told him.
"What? You're not goin' back?! But why, goro?"
"I want to board Rudania."
Yunobo suddenly jumped back in shock upon hearing that.
"WHAT?! You're gonna try to board the Divine Beast? Who do you think you are... Lord Daruk? It's dangerous to go in there, goro! And with only me, the one the other Gorons call, the cowardly pebble..."
He suddenly called himself as before mumbling.
"Though I guess if you weakened it first, it might be possible..." He looked up to speak directly to Link, "But... why risk it?"
"Because that is my duty. My name is Link, I am a Champion just like your ancestor was."
Yunobo stood silent for a moment, before saying shocked: "You're a Champion too? Well why didn't you say it earlier, goro? But even for you, could you tame something as ravenous as a Divine Beast, goro?"
"I calmed the other three."
"Well that is something... Well, I guess we could try. The problem is... good ol' Boss raised the Bridge of Eldin to make sure that mean Divine Beast couldn't get over here."
He pointed over a large metal bridge, lifted up on the other side of a river of lava.
"In order to get to where Rudania is, we'll have to get the Bridge of Eldin back down, goro. Boss would normally use the cannon to lower it... Ugh, we can't get across unless we figure somethin' out! If Boss can't come down here, then we can't use the cannon to lower the bridge. That means we're out of luck, goro!"
"I can use the cannon though." Link pointed out.
"Oh! Right, I forgot! Maybe we CAN get across after all. So let's just do what I do to help Boss sometimes. That means I'm gonna be the cannonball! And you'll launch me, goro!"
"For someone so cowardly, he is oddly willing to turn himself into a living projectile." Link remarked.
Yunobo hopped on into the cannon, opening the hatch on top of it and jumping inside.
"Don't worry, I have my ancestor's help, Daruk's Protection, to keep me safe and protected! Boss says he was a big deal, so it's gotta be true! Daruk was a great hero, the exact... opposite of me. Just uh... be gentle about it... And please be careful where you aim me..."
Link got to work loading the cannon with a Sheikah bomb.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Ready!" exclaimed the young Goron.
Link aimed the cannon at the bridge and fired. Yunobo was blasted out of the barrel, Daruk's Protection surrounding him as he hit the bridge with crash, before bouncing up into the air. The metal structure teetered backward, before falling forward, connecting to the other side and allowing them to cross.
Yunobo fell back onto the ground, dizzy from the collision.
"We did it... See that, goro... If we put our heads together... anything is possible! That power I got from my ancestor... It really is somethin' else, isn't it? Well, I guess my time isn't over yet, goro. Let's move across the bridge."
He looked over at Taima, sitting there patiently.
"Um... But can you keep the dog away from me, please?" he whimpered.
Link whistled to Taima, as she got up and began to follow him. As three crossed the bridge however, Vah Rudania suddenly raised its head, as though it had sensed them approaching. It let out a guttural roar. Four holes opened up in the Divine Beast's back, as several small, Sheikah drones flew out of them via their propellers.
Flying forward, they each stationed themselves on different parts of the path up the mountain, scanning the area beneath them.
"Oh... Yikes..." Yunobo said worriedly, "A sentry is always a nuisance, no matter where it is or how many there are. If one spots us, Rudania will go nuts, which will cause Death Mountain to erupt, goro. I... always get spotted, and then the magma bombs come raining down one after another. If Boss were here, he'd swat those things away like they were nothing and force his way up."
"Then that is off the table. Is there a way we can sneak up?" Link asked.
"Well... Maybe the best idea is for you to give me a signal when to move forward and when to stop. Let's hurry and decide what the signal will be, goro. Any ideas."
Link thought for a moment, before saying.
"I'll whistle to you."
"A whistle? Ah, that's a great idea, goro! I like it! Even though it's kinda like calling a horse, goro... Alright, I'm counting on you, goro!"
"Let's move." Link told him.
They both began to head up the mountain. Link spotted a sentry up ahead, hovering back and forth over a small area of the path. He suddenly spotted a large rock where they could hide under as they passed.
Unfortunately, Yunobo wasn't quick enough. Just as he was getting beneath the rock, the sentry flew over, catching a glimpse of him. It began to blare an alarm, as Death Mountain began to rumble.
"It saw us!" the young Goron cried, panicked.
The volcano shook as balls of magma burst out from its crater and rained down all around them, exploding upon contact with the ground. Luckily, the rock above them was sturdy enough to keep them protected. Once the hail of fire had stopped, they were quick to run out of that sentry's line of sight.
As they continued to climb, Link spotted another sentry, blocking the path. He whistled for Yunobo to stand still, as he looked for a way around it. That's when he spotted up on a ledge right beside it were a few boulders. Climbing up to them, Link put his back into it, and pushed one of the heavy rocks down, crushing the drone beneath it. Paragliding down, he then whistled for the group to keep moving.
"Look, there's a cannon up ahead!" Yunobo said, pointing at it. Seeing Rudania so close to them, Link knew what to do. Loading himself in, the young Goron got ready for the blast. Link rolled a Sheikah bomb into the back of the artillery piece, as he aimed it at the giant machine. He then fired, sending Yunobo flying as he hit the divine beast like a hammer on a nail. It roared in pain as he crawled off, away from their line of sight.
Yunobo landed back by the cannon, unscathed.
"We did it, goro! If we can keep this up, we should be able to corner Rudania!"
"Wait a second, can you get into the cannon again?" Link asked.
"Sure!"
He did so, as Link turned the cannon around. He had spotted two more sentries in the distance and decided to save them the trouble. He fired Yunobo at them just when they were close enough, destroying them both. After bouncing back and quickly recovering from the dizziness, they continued their trek up the mountain.
After having blocked another sentry's line of sight with a slab of metal, they arrived at the second cannon, guarded by a moblin wielding an iron sledgehammer. Link and Taima dealt with him quickly enough, the wolf tackling him to the ground and biting him, while Link hit him a few times with his stone smasher, finishing the monster off. Rinse and repeat, they fired Yunobo at Rudania again, forcing it to flee further up the mountain, before blowing up a few more sentries as well with it.
"Just one more cannon, goro. If we hit Rudania with it, it'll be forced to retreat right into the volcanic crater!" Yunobo told him.
Link suddenly whistled for him to stop. There was a cluster of sentries left, as they circled around near each other, making sure nothing got through. Climbing up, he checked to see if there was anything he could use to dispose of them.
That's when he spotted a large metal box, sitting there on the cliff.
"Perfect."
Lifting it up with magnesis, Link swung it around, hitting the drones with it and causing them to crash one by one, clearing the path. He then paraglided down and whistled for the two to keep following him.
They soon arrived at the last cannon, guarded by two more moblins. Link quickly froze them with frost arrows, allowing him and Taima to easily dispatch them with a few good strikes, scratches and bites.
Once the coast was clear, Yunobo hopped into the cannon. Link fired him one final time, as he hit the Divine beast right in the center of its back. It let out a terrible roar, as it began to climb up the volcano once again. It climbed up to the edge of the crater, before letting itself fall in, causing some of the magma inside to splash out, sending it flying to the air.
"This way!" Yunobo said, as he finished recuperating. He led Link up the volcano to the edge of the crater. He looked down to see Vah Rudania now standing with its legs in the magma.
"That was so cool!" he shouted. "You really put a licking on that thing, Link! It's time to finish the job!"
Link gave him a single nod of approval.
"This is our big chance!"
The knight began to head towards the edge. Yunobo ran forward, but hesitated. He wasn't too keen on joining Link down there. He called out to him.
"Wait! Y-you're just going to leave me alone with your... your pet, a-are you?" he asked, looking at Taima, worriedly.
Link simply handed him the fireproof elixirs Bludo gave him..
"Make sure she takes one whenever the last one wears off." he told him, jumping off and paragliding down to the Divine Beast. Yunobo took one look at the wolf watching her master glide down, and gulped, as he was filled with dread.
Meanwhile
Link landed beside a Sheikah pedestal by the entrance. He placed his slate down on it, as it activated the device, making it glow blue and opening the door.
"Hey, little guy! Long time no see." a gruff voice suddenly called out of the blue. Link looked around to find the source, only to see nothing. "I always knew you'd come back. Y'know, I never stopped believing in you! You're here to take control of ol' Rudania back from Ganon, eh?"
"You're gonna need a map that shows the guts of this place. You can grab the info from the guidance stone inside."
Following the advice, Link went in, and was immediately greeted by darkness, as the door behind him shut and he was left in the darkness of the machine. Two braziers with blue fire were the only miniscule source of light in the room, accompanied by the glowing pools of Malice nearby.
Knowing full well what to do, Link quickly dealt with a few of them, shooting the eyeballs as the pools they were connected to disintegrated and cleared a path, as well as revealing a chest. Opening it, all Link found was a single torch.
"Oh good, I can carry some light with me." he thought to himself.
He grabbed it and lit it using the blue flame. As he made his way through the dark room he soon came across a barred gate thanks to the light. Spotting an unlit brazier beside, Link lit it, which immediately caused the bars to be raised.
As he entered the next part of the Divine Beast, he suddenly saw something light up in the dark. He heard something turn as he suddenly spotted the blue eye of a guardian scout staring at him.
"Crap!"
Link threw his torch to the ground as he quickly drew the Hylian shield, blocking a few small blasts from the automated soldier. He then pulled out his stone smasher and dispatched the machine with a few good strikes. Putting his weapons away, he picked up the torch and looked around.
Soon enough, he found the next gate, a brazier standing beside it too. He lit it using his torch, opening it up and allowing Link inside, where he spotted the Guidance Stone. He pulled out his Sheikah Slate and inserted it in. It immediately lit up with an orange light.
"Sheikah Slate authenticated." an automated voice said, "Distilling map of the Divine Beast."
The stone up above glowed blue, as runes collected at the tip of it, forming into a glowing blue drop of some kind of liquid. It then fell on the Sheikah Slate, which absorbed it immediately. As Link removed the slate from the pedestal, the ceiling began to open up, allowing light inside and for him to see.
"Nice job getting the map of the Divine Beast!" the ethereal voice congratulated, "The terminals that control Rudania are noted by the glowing points. on your map. To take back Rudania, you'll need to activate all of the terminals. You'll have some control of its movement to help you out with getting to them. Once you're done, activate the main control unit. You got this, little guy!"
Link turned around and began to follow the map's directions.
"Alright, this shouldn't be too hard after the other three and all the shrine puzzles I did."
Later
After a series of puzzles involving lighting a brazier, rolling a ball, turning off some fire and flipping Rudania around a lot, Link had finally activated all the terminals.
Exiting the interior of the Divine Beast, he climbed up onto its back, where the main control unit stood. Knowing full well that activating it would lead to a battle, he prepared himself, pulling his Hylian Shield out as he got the Sheikah Slate ready. Carefully, he approached the device. Even now, after defeating three Blight Ganons, he knew that he couldn't get cocky and let his guard down. He only had one shot, and he had to make it count.
(To be continued...)
(Hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a wonderful day, bye!)